The Opelousas courier., 1887-12-10
HORSES THEIR FOOD.
Feeding the Animals in the Gen.
trail Park Menagerie.
Horses Bought at the "Horse
Morgue" and Killed to Order.

into a low building in the sheep fold of
Central Park, and the man who held tho
halter called Henry" A man wearing
a white apron, and carrying an axe, APP
reared in answer to the summons. He
covered the horses head with a piece Of
jutc tagging, balanced the axe, and
threw back his shoulders. The horse
stood motionless. Then the axe de-
sccnded on the horses head, and the
animal fell to the ground. Another mo-
ment and blood was gushing from q cash
in his throat. Fifteen minutes later the:
carcass was skinned, cut up, and hung
on hooks like beef in a butchers shop.
"What is it intended for?" inquired
the reporter of Superintendent Conklin.
"Thc wild animals in the menagerie, -
was the reply. at seems a bit hard,
doesn't it, that the animals of all others
that contribute most to the comfort of
men should be sacrificed to satisfy the
hunger of animals that make q practice
of eating men when they have the OPP
%portunity2 But it really is not hard.
We buy our horses at the horse morgue'
on Avenue A. At this place old and
dccrepit horses are offered for Sale.
They have served their time in the
traces and they are generally sold to be
killed. We buy such animals and kill
them painlessly, as you have seen at
done. We have tried this forSa year or
more, and find that it is eminently salts
factory, not only to the Park manage
ment, but to the owners of the horses.
GA number of business men whose
faithful horses have become disabled by
| age or accident have sent them up here
to be killed. Olc afternoon last sum
mer, while / was at my desk in the
armory, a gentleman entered my office
leading a pretty little girl by the hand.
She had been crying, and thought l
could see faint traces of tears in his
eyes. The gentleman gave me his card.
He is a banker on Wall street.
my little daughter said he, has
something she wants to say to you.'
"cNo, you tell him, papa she said,
her eyes filling with tears. I-I--don't
believe I can tell him.
"sWhat is it that / can do for you,' I
asked.
81 want you to k-kiIl my dear little
Kitty. Nc I don't either. You tell him
all about it, papa
Here the gentleman took pity
on his daughter and told me, not with
out emotion, that q favorite Shetland
pony belonging to his child had met
with an accident in the park that MORT
ing near his house on upper Fifth ave-
nue.. Its leg was broken and he had it
taken to his stable on q dray. He
couldn't bear to have it killed ON the
premises and he wanted nae to send for
it and have it killed in the shcepfols.
As he offered to pay all thu expenses
ofthe removal | consented. That is only
one of a number of such instances since
it has been generally known that we
dispose of horses in that manner"
How did you conn to substitute
horseiesh for beef in your bill of farea'
asked the reporter.
eve found it was very much cheaper
and much more convenient. We for
merly paid eight cents a pound for our
beef, which cost MS not less than 500 a
week on an average. Now, including
the salary Of Henry Zler, u butcher,
our expenses for feeding tho carniverous
animals is not over $a4 a week. Quite
a saving as you see."
"How do you manage to make it so
cheap2"
by buying horses that are worth
nothing except for their hides and hoofs.
They cost us SIS each, and we get a re-
bate of 50. so each for their hoofs and
hides
"But all horses are not fit for food
even2'
.sTrue. Inever buy any street car
horses, because the veterinary surgeons
employed by the companies doctor them
up with drugs, cfSfeRfy nitro, as soon as
they begin to show signs of failing.
Thessnarugs render them unfit for food.
Only about one-fifth the horses offered
for sale are useful for food"
"How can you tell whether you have
bought a healthy horse?'
II can generally judge by seeing
them, but to make sure ! examine them
after they arc slaughtered for pleuro-
pneumonia, CHAMBERS, and other infec-
tious diseases. We kill two q week on
an average. Sometimes we buy horse
that is too good to be killed. We have
two such animals now, which we use
about the Park for working purposes
GLOW is the refuse disposed OFF,
1--WE send it down to the offal dock,
and there the city takes charge, and
carries it out to sea. n-INew York Sun.
The Mnn far fac York.